Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
by Red Princess
Summary: - DISCONTINUED - A Fruits Basket and Warriors crossover. Kyo and Kisa end up in the Warrior's world. What will happen when Tigerstar tries to seek his revenge through Kisa?
1. Prolouge

"Bluestar, look into the water. What do you see?"

Two silhouettes appeared sitting around a clear blue pool of water amid a vast space of darkness. Two cats, one with a silvery white pelt and another with bluish gray fur, were talking quietly to one another. Bluestar turned to her companion.

"I…I don't see anything, Cinderpelt," she confusedly meowed. "Is there something I'm--"

Suddenly, a piercing cry split into the night sky. Bluestar frantically backed away from the water, her eyes wide in fear and disbelief. "Cinderpelt, is that Tigerstar?? Why is his face in the pool? Has he come back?!"

Cinderpelt gently flicked her tail across Bluestar's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "It's not Tigerstar you're seeing. Take a look again."

Cautiously, Bluestar approached the pool. "Tigerstar's" reflection stared back at her. _'Whoever this cat is', _Bluestar thought, '_He looks exactly like Tigerstar.'_ She peered closer. Amber eyes, the tiger-like pelt, sharp claws…this cat had it all. Yet there was just something that didn't seem right. The cat she was looking at had no confidence or glare of ambition and ferocity in its eyes. This cat seemed small and defeated, like a shell of Tigerstar's former self.

"Who is this, Cinderpelt?" Bluestar asked. "Not Brambleclaw, I'll bet. "

"No, it's not. This is Kisa, who will bring about a great change in this forest. Whether it's for the better or the worst, I do not know."

"Kisa, huh? Is she related to Tigerstar in some way?"

"That is also uncertain. Her relationship with him is yet to be determined. Although she doesn't show his desire for power now, that might change later. She and her companions will bring about a great change in this forest." Cinderpelt got up and turned to leave.

"I must warn Firestar. None of them can be trusted."


	2. Carrot top meets Cloudtail

"What the—where the hell am I?!"

A mass of orange fur spun around in bewildered circles. All around him were bunches of cats—talking, laughing cats! He saw he was in some type of clearing in a forest. There was a big rock in the center and cave-like dens for sleeping in, he guessed. '_I have to find someone to tell me where I am,' _he frantically thought._ 'Then I somehow have to get back home so I won't miss Tohru's delicious--'_

A fluffy white head suddenly appeared right in front of his face. "Hey, watch where you're going, stupid furball!" the white cat crossly spat. "What're you doing, standing there? We're supposed to be organizing hunting patrols! Firestar'll be furious if we don't get enough prey before Greenleaf ends and—" he paused, and sniffed the orange stranger curiously. "Hey, you don't look familiar. You smell like a kittypet. Who are you?"

"Uh, my name is Kyo. I don't know what you're rambling on about, but I need to find my way home. Where am I?! How did I get here?"

KYO'S POV:

So how did I get myself into this mess? The last thing I remember was going to sleep after eating the worst meal I've ever tasted (because Tohru was out last night and Yuki did the cooking.) Did I hug someone while I was asleep? If not, how did I turn into a cat?! And what will everyone say when they realize that I'm gone? They'll think I ran into the mountains again!! What will Tohru say?? And Akito will…Aaahhhhhh!!!! (A/N: internal scream. He's completely stressed out.)

-END KYO'S POV-

"Whoa, orangey, calm down!" a voice cut into his thoughts. "You look like you're on the verge of strangling yourself. Did you hear me? I said, I might be able to help you."

Kyo looked up at the white fluffball, just noticing his present surroundings. Now he was in a cave where these strange cats slept. There was no one in here now; the white cat said they were out hunting.

"Hey, follow me," he meowed. "There's something I want to show you."

Kyo grunted in reply, seeing as how he had nothing to lose. Following the white cat deeper into the cave, Kyo was surprised to see that, veering off sharply to the left, there was a longer tunnel that sloped gently downward. Shivering, he wondered why he was being led down here. Was this a way back home?

After what seemed like hours, Kyo heard, "Here we are. Take a look around."

'_And where exactly IS 'here'?' _He looked up and blinked. They were now in the darkest part of the cave. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Kyo started to make out a figure awakening on a pile of dead leaves.

Kyo was shocked when he saw the cat in front of him. He instantly recognized the shy expression and big amber eyes.

It was Kisa.


	3. My Sweet Flowers

A lone figure sat by the window, silently watching the rosy petals of a blossom tree sail in the wind.

"Akito, you'd better eat your dinner soon or it'll get cold," came a quiet, yet stern and worried voice.

The girl by the window acknowledged her visitor with a shake of her head. "Not now, Kureno."

"Don't tell me you're still brooding over the new placements of the Zodiacs," Kureno sighed.

Akito wouldn't admit that she was. It was better to not let Kureno know why she was so upset. She shifted her body around to face Kureno. "No, don't worry, I'm not. Besides, I still have you."

-------

AKITO'S POV:

Dammit! Why do I _still_ feel like I'm missing something?? Everything was fine before that stupid orange cat showed up in the Main House yesterday!

I had just come back from taking a bath, and found this ugly cat messing up my bed. The sheets were all dirty and ripped, and the cat smelled like crap. I thought it was one of Ren's tricks to punish me for sleeping with Shigure, so I kicked the scrawny thing outside and watched it limp away. Then I slept with Shigure again last night.

When I woke up, Shigure was in his dog form. I didn't understand why he had transformed, since he had never done that before when I hugged him. I shook him awake; he looked at me and bolted right out the window, and ran off in the same direction the cat went.

As if that wasn't enough to piss me off, Tohru the ditz **had **to call and ask me if I knew where Kyo and Yuki had run off to. As if I care where they went! And after that, I got a call from Kisa's mom telling me that Kisa was missing. I told her that she'd probably run off with Hiro somewhere. Ha! I guess he didn't learn his lesson even after I beat the crap out of Kisa. Oh yeah, and after that, I find out Hatori, Momiji, Haru, Rin, Ayame, and Kagura have gone missing!!

So now I'm sitting here waiting for my Zodiac to come back to me. At least Kureno is still here. But I can't torture him or anything, only because he was nice enough to stay by my side even after his curse was lifted. But, God, am I bored!

As Shigure would say, "Alas! Where have my sweet flowers gone…?"


	4. But We ARE Twolegs!

"KISA?! What the hell are you doing here??"

Kisa stared at Kyo's shocked face and burst out laughing.

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!!"

"I'm sorry, Kyo…I just so relieved to see someone that I know in this strange place. Cloudtail was nice enough to give me a place to sleep away from the other cats." She flicked her tail towards the white cat, who nodded to Kyo.

Kyo whirled around to face Cloudtail, just remembering that he was still there. "So THAT'S what your name is, you bastard!" He cuffed Cloudtail on the ear with unsheathed claws. "That's for calling me a stupid furball before!" Kisa gave him a look. "….But…thanks for finding Kisa and bringing me to her…I guess", he mumbled awkwardly.

"Hmph. You have a weird way of showing your thanks, but you're welcome." Cloudtail put a paw up to his stinging ear. "I'll admit, you're pretty strong for a kittypet!"

Kyo and Kisa have each other confused looks. "A what?" they asked in unison.

Cloudtail sighed inwardly. '_This is like explaining something to a newborn kit! These two really dumb…but I like them anway.' _"Kittypets," he said aloud, "are the cats who live with the Twolegs. How can you stand to eat that horrible kittypet food?? Yuck!" Cloudtail made a face.

"Two…legs…Oh! You mean humans, right? Kisa exclaimed. "Oh, you got it all wrong. We---…um, never mind," she broke off suddenly. "…Cloudtail, will you let me talk with Kyo right now?"

Cloudtail gave her a funny look, but said, "Okay, sure. But both of you come back up outside after, okay?"

Kyo waited until he heard Cloudtail's padding fade away up the tunnel before facing Kisa again. "I can't believe you're here too! I wonder if we'll find anymore Zodiac members…?"

Kisa shook her head. "I don't think so. We're the only 'cats'. And this forest seems to be mainly full of cats…Do you think we should tell Cloudtail that we **are** humans?"

Kyo violently shook his head. "No!" he yelled. When Kisa looked shocked, he said softer, "I don't trust him. Just don't reveal our secret to anyone yet, okay?"

Kisa nodded. "Ok, Kyo. He seems nice enough!...But I guess you're right." She paused. "Um, Kyo? Before you arrived here, did you have a strange dream?" she asked tentatively.

Kyo cocked his head quizzically. "What do you mean by that?"

Kisa avoided meeting his inquiring gaze directly. "Oh, like someone who talks to you, and tells you about….your…life?" she ended, trying to choose her words carefully.

Kyo looked at her. "No. I don't remember having any dreams before I came here…Why do you ask?"

Kisa tried to clear troubling thoughts from her mind. "…Oh, no reason. C'mon. Let's go outside."


	5. Akito and the Forest

AKITO'S POV:

Okay, so I've been sitting here starving myself for who knows how long. Shigure hasn't come back, and neither have the others. Now I'm starting to think that the orange cat was an omen. Maybe I shouldn't have kicked it out.

What if I've angered Father by treating that cat cruelly? Did he send that cat to me as some sort of sign…a warning maybe? Come to think of it, the cat was as orange as Kyo is when he transforms. Maybe it was some sort hint to where Kyo has gone to. I saw it head off into the woods. Should I follow it…?

* * *

Kureno walked into Akito's room only to see her yet again staring out her window. She'd been like that for over a day now, only wrenching her gaze from outside to ask Kureno if he knew where the Zodiacs went. 

He felt sorry for this lonely girl, so often abused by her mother. He pitied her, which was the main reason he stayed by her side even after his curse was lifted. While Akito still held onto the belief that Kureno loved her, he knew it wasn't true. His love for Akito wasn't the real, deep love that Ren and Akira had shared. Shigure was the one who truly cared for Akito, which made the reason why he had run off even more baffling.

"Akito," Kureno started hesitantly. "You'd better get some sleep. Maybe they'll show up tomorrow. Just please get some rest and I promise I'll help you look for the Zodiac animals, ok?"

'_Damn. He's at it again. Can't he see that I'm really not in the mood to sleep?!' _Akito bit back a protest. She knew better than to argue with Kureno. '_Besides, he wants the best for me, right?' _she thought."…Ok. Maybe you're right. But will you lie with me? I'm lonely."

Kureno took one look at the longing and desire to be loved in Akito's eyes, and set himself down next to her in her bed. He watched as Akito's eyes shut and her rapid breathing slow down as she sank into the dark realm of dreams.

* * *

"Akito, Akito, follow me," a voice like a gentle spring breeze whispered. 

Akito opened confused eyes. "Father? Where are you?"

She was walking over a silver stream full of shining fish. A few more steps took her into a forest. A radiant white light was shining though the leaves of the trees. Outside the grasping rays of light, darkness was gathering.

"Father, is that you?"

Akito ran towards the light, ignoring the cold blackness around her. She soon found herself in the midst of white light, in some sort of clearing in the forest. Her father, Akira, the previous head of the Sohma family, sat in the center of the clearing. He was surrounded by cats of all colors—black, grey, white, and even orange.

Akito looked closely at the orange cat in her father's hands. It was the same one that had been in her room! "Father, why am I here? Who is that cat?"

Akira took a long look at Akito, who grew uncomfortable under his steady, penetrating gaze. "I think it should be obvious why I brought you here," he said, ignoring Akito's other question. "You wanted to know where the Jjuunishi are, so take a look around. Come to this forest and gather the Jjuunishi; bring them back where they belong. But you'd better hurry. There is an evil lurking in this forest. Two of the Jyuunishi may be involved. If you don't figure out which two, and retrieve them quickly, their lives will be taken….So hurry!"

With that, Akira and the remaining cats began to fade away. "Father, wait!" Akito screamed helplessly as the forest began to dissolve and she fell away into the night.

* * *

Akito awoke with a start. She had broken into a nervous sweat and her breathing turned into gasps for breath. 

"KURENO!!!!"

Kureno ran into Akito's room, nearly tripping over the mattress she lay on, on the floor. "What is it?" he gasped.

Akito shook her head in anger and confusion. "Why did you leave me?? I had a dream again! Father came to me and said the Jyuunishi are in danger!! But, oh…! I know where they are! C'mon, Kureno, we must head out NOW!!!!"

Kureno stared at Akito in bewilderment. "I think you should get some rest. Calm down, please. How do you know where the Zodiacs animals went? What did Akira say?"

"He SHOWED me where they are—in a forest—over there!!!" Akito pointed out the window. "Let's go now!"

"No—Aki—AH!!" Kureno stumbled out the door, Akito firmly pushing him in the back. "We're going out there, now!!! I don't care how dark or cold it is, I **have **to save the two that are in danger!"

"What?! **Who's** in danger??!"

"Shut up. I'll tell you on the way."


	6. Fire meets Fire, Tiger meets Tiger

Kyo and Kisa emerged from the dark cave blinking lazily at the sunlight.

"Ugh, what now? How will we find our way home?" Kyo mumbled. "I don't want to be stuck in this stinkin' forest forever. I miss Tohru already."

"Don't worry about it, Kyo." Kisa told him comfortingly. "We'll find a way out. It isn't all that bad here, I guess. The cats seem pretty nice and—"

"Oh, hey, you two!! I've been waiting for you." Cloudtail jolted out from a den, energetically waving his tail. "Firestar, our leader, is going to try and help you guys find your way home. But you'll need to stay with us 'till we find a way," he burst out excitedly. He flicked his talk off towards the center of the clearing. "Let's go!"

"Okay!" Kisa instantly set off with him. Kyo hesitated, and then followed them slowly, each paw step taking him closer to many adventures in the forest that would change his life forever.

* * *

A cat with a deep orange pelt paced restlessly around his den. Another one, named Brambleclaw, stood off to the side, watching his leader's movements with sharp amber eyes. "Firestar, what will you do about these new arrivals?" he inquired.

The honorable Clan leader did not reply right away. "…I'm not sure. Maybe I should help them get home…They probably shouldn't stay here too long. And besides…" Firestar paused and thought, '_Cinderpelt said they can't be trusted…'_

Brambleclaw cocked his head quizzically, but didn't press further. Firestar resumed his restless pace. "Should I even bother holding the naming ceremony for them? They'll need training as warriors if they're going to stay here awhile…Tell Cloudtail to bring them to me."

Brambleclaw dipped his head. "Yes, Firestar."

* * *

FIRSTAR'S POV:

Graystripe, where are you?? Oh, how I need you now….

Brambleclaw…he's a good listener, but no one could ever take your place. He is the son of Tigerstar after all. I'm still not sure if I can trust him completely. Tigerstar may find some way to threaten ThunderClan through him…

These newcomers….their sudden appearance is disturbing. Cinderpelt warned me about them. She said they would bring about a disturbance. I'm almost afraid to think about what that means. For some reason, I feel like I'm the one responsible for their appearances here…But how?

Was I wrong to hold the vigil for you? I try not to believe that you've joined the ranks of StarClan!! But what else could I do? ……. Please come back! You'll find your way. I believe in you. I'm still waiting for you.

* * *

A greeting from Cloudtail jolted Firestar from his thoughts. "Hey Firestar! Here are the new cats. This is Kyo," his tail flicked towards an orange cat, "and this is Kisa." He pointed to a cat who bore a striking resemblance to Tigerstar.

Firestar noticed that Brambleclaw, who had come back into the den, noticed this too, for his eyes, which were focused on Kisa, held an expression of wonderment and suspicion.

Shaking off an uneasy feeling, Firestar nodded to the new cats. "Hello, Kyo, Kisa. Welcome to TunderClan." Then, to Cloudtail and Brambleclaw, "Please leave us."

* * *

As soon as the others left the den, Kyo felt as if he were being trapped in a cell with no way out. He found it hard to look at the Clan leader, who seemed surrounded with a sense of authority and importance. It reminded him of Akito.

That was one thing. The other thing that nerved him was the leader's orange fur. Kyo had never seen a cat with that shade of orange, almost like his very own, except it was darker. And, Kyo noticed that the cat Firestar had told to leave looked like Kisa.

Kyo shot a worried look at Kisa, but she didn't notice. She was already explaining to Firestar about where they came from. '_I just hope she didn't tell him that we're actually human,' _Kyo thought.

"…So, you two are cats living in a place with Twolegs. There's a forest that you can see from your home, you say?" Firestar asked.

"Yes! Do you know that place? Can you help us get back?!" Kisa exclaimed.

Firestar sat deep in thought for a long moment, staring at Kisa and Kyo intently. "Yes, I can," he finally replied, sighing wearily. "But not soon. I think I know the place you speak of, but I must make sure. You will have to spend some time with us here; learn the ways of our Clan, while I figure out exactly how I can bring you two back. Is that okay with you? We will perform you naming ceremony later at sunset. You two are old enough to be apprentices. I will choose the best mentors for you so you can train into fine warriors---"

At the mention of "apprentices" and "training", Kyo lost it. (A/N: I think he has a nasty temper! ) "APPRENTICES? I don't need a cat teaching me! I'm a fine fighter!! I bet I can kick your ass! And another thing—do you expect us to stay here learning your ways when we could be finding our way back home by ourselves?! I don't need your help! I have a family to get back to and--"

Kyo's outburst was silenced by Kisa who gave him a scratch on his side with unsheathed claws. (A/n: Very unlike her, I know. But someone had to shut Kyo up!) "Shut up, Kyo! Firestar's offering us help, so we'll take it!" She nodded gratefully to the leader.

"What the hell?!" Kyo responded, shocked by her reaction. "You actually _want_ to stay here? I don't see what's so difficult about finding our way back without this guy's help!"

"ENOUGH," Firestar commanded. When Kyo and Kisa fell silent, he continued. "Well, you certainly seem to have confidence in yourself," he told Kyo. "That may come in handy if you are to be a true warrior….The truth is, your need to stay here for awhile has a deeper meaning than me just wanting you to learn our ways. In time, you'll realize that you were both sent here for a reason…And we'll see how great your fighting skills are tomorrow, your first day of training," Firestar added wryly to Kyo. "For now, both of you meet me here later, at sunset. You'll receive your apprentice names and become official members of the Clan."


	7. The Naming Ceremony

As the sun set, casting shadows over the clearing, the cats of ThunderClan gathered around the Highledge to witness the naming ceremony. A murmur of disagreement washed through the crowd. Near the back, a cat with a dark-colored pelt was muttering to the elders. "StarClan, **two more kittypets**?! Just what this clan needs…."

He was interrupted by Squirrelflight, Firestar's daughter. She had the same flaming orange pelt and sparkling green eyes as her father. "Dustpelt, you stupid furball!! Have you forgotten that _my father_ was once a kittypet?! And look at what he is now—leader of this clan!" Dustpelt stared at her coldly. Unaware, she continued, "Kittypets are no worse than any clanborn cat, and if you---"

"Quiet, you two!" Leafpool, Squirrelflight's sister, whispered. Her tail flicked towards the Highledge, where Firestar was standing, waiting. Squirrelflight and Duspelt immediately fell silent, still glaring at each other.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting!" he yowled. Instantly, the whispers died away and all cats raised their heads towards their leader. Even the kits stopped tussling near the nursery entrance. "Cats of ThunderClan, we gather here to hold the naming ceremony for these two cats." Firestar nodded to Kisa and Kyo, standing nervously at the front of the crowd. Cloudtail and Brambleclaw flanked them protectively on each side.

"Let the naming ceremony begin."

* * *

Kisa shifted her paws anxiously. She looked up at the Highledge, towering over her, and shut her eyes, trying to red of her pessimistic thoughts. '_Why am I shaking? There's nothing to be afraid of! Kyo's with me…and Cloudtail, too!'_ She cast an affectionate glance towards the white warrior, who gave her a comforting lick and reassuring gaze. "Don't worry," he whispered. "Firestar'll give you a good name, and I'm sure he's picked out the best mentor for you. Hey, maybe it'll be me!!" he added hopefully. 

Kisa was filled with amusement. She wouldn't mind having him as her mentor. She didn't have any experience in training at the dojo or anything. Kyo, on the other hand, probably didn't want ANY cat to train him. Kisa knew he had trained in the mountains, but would that type of training be useful in a forest full of cats?...

* * *

Kyo stood ridged and cast a scornful glance up at Firestar. '_Who does he think he is? Making me learn from some stupid cat…I'll show him on my first day of training! That bastard…' _He looked sideways at Brambleclaw, who was standing just as stiffly as he was. '_Why isn't he up where Firestar is if he's deputy?'_ Kyo felt Brambleclaw was thinking the same thing, and thought he saw a flash of resentment in the tabby cat's amber eyes. 

'_It's just my imagination…'_

* * *

Firestar took a look at the cats of ThunderClan waiting expectantly. Some were casting wary glances towards Kyo and Kisa. '_Okay, Graystipe, StarClan, Cindterpelt…Here goes nothing…'_

"Kisa!" Firestar called. She slowly lifted her head; he nodded for her to come up. Kisa carefully inched her way up the Highledge, worry and nervousness reflected in her eyes. When she reached Firestar, her gaze instantly fell to the stare at the stone surface, too afraid to look at the leader. Firestar gently lifted her head with his tail, giving her a comforting look.

"Kisa, from this day forth, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as…Tigerpaw." At that, the Clan cats stifled shocked gasps. Firestar kew what they were thinking. Tigerpaw…it gave them the idea that this new cat was some sort of reincarnation of the feared, former ShadowClan leader and ThunderClan deputy. Firestar had chosen her name carefully. '_It suits her perfectly. She DOES look like him. And that's what worries me…' _

Slowly, the cats started chanting "Tigerpaw, Tigerpaw!." But they said it hesitantly, Firestar noticed. He glanced at Tigerpaw to see if she had noticed, but she gave no sign that she did. Instead, she looked dazed, but her gaze followed his every move as he prepared himself to appoint her mentor.

This had been a difficult choice. Brackenfur and Ashfur were his first choices, but they already had apprentices. Squirrelflight seemed too fiery a mentor for Tigerpaw; Cloudtail was too close to her already—they would've spent her training time fooling around. That left one cat, apprentice-less but ready to mentor one. Firestar could feel that this was a bad choice that he was making; that this cat could lead Tigerpaw closer to Tigerstar.

"Brambleclaw! You will be Tigerpaw's mentor." Firestar announced. The tabby warrior's eyes shot open; he stood frozen, stunned for a moment. He then padded slowly towards Tigerpaw, the cat that looked so much like him and his father. They touched noses.

"Brambleclaw, you are a skilled warrior, courageous, and willing to die for your clan. May you pass on all you have learned to Tigerpaw."

Brambleclaw firmly nodded. "I will, Firestar." Together, Brambleclaw and Tigerpaw strode off the Highledge and made their way to the back of the crowd. Some cats, Firestar noticed, congratulated Kisa, calling her by her new name. Others coldly glared at her, mistrust burning in their eyes. Clodtail bounded towards the two cats, eager to talk to them, leaving Kyo standing at the foot of the Highledge. Anticipation now gleamed in his eyes. He was eager to get a new name and mentor and prove himself a good fighter.

"Kyo!" Firestar called. Kyo instantly padded up to the Highledge, his head held high, pride in his eyes. He stopped inches away from the leader, staring at him intensely, almost challengingly.

Firestar stared back, frowning in disapproval at Kyo's prideful manner. "Kyo, from this day forth, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Sunpaw."

Kyo took a moment to register that, while the other cats chanted, "Sunpaw! Sunpaw!" Firestar realized they sounded less hesitant this time, proabbaly because Kyo doesn't resemble an enemy like Tigerstar. '_He looks like me…' _Firestar thought. True enough, the setting sun's rays seemed to be absorbed by Kyo's pelt, making him glow like a falem next to Firestar. Hence, his apprentice name Sunpaw.

Sunpaw looked expectantly at Firestar, waiting to see who his mentor would be. '_He's probably thinking he's too good for any of this Clan's warriors…' _Firestar thought scornfully. '_Well, is he going to be in for a surprise.'_

"Sunpaw," he said, "You will need a mentor who will be able to efficiently teach you the ways of this Clan—a skilled warrior and someone who will be able to put up with your nasty temper," Firestar teasingly remarked. Amused to see a spark of indignation in Sunpaw's eyes, he went on. "Sunpaw, until you are ready to become a warrior of ThunderClan, your mentor will be….me."

* * *

**  
A/N: Thanks to anyone who's actually reading my pathetic excuse of a fanfic.  
Million thanks to Tayk for the reviews and Sunpaw's name. **


	8. AKito and the Forest Pt II

**Sorry for the wait! Here it is--Chapter 7 of my story, telling about what Akito and Kureno have been doing. Haven't heard  
from them in awhile, have you?**

* * *

_  
Meanwhile, as Kisa and Kyo get accepted into ThunderClan…_

"Shit!" A yukata-clad girl, her jet-black hair tangled and wild, her eyes blazed with fierce determination, tripped on a stray tree root for the hundredth time, and fell face first into a puddle of mud. "Damn roots…" she muttered into the gooey puddle. "Damn nature…Why do I have to be tormented like this?!" she screamed, quickly getting up and wiping away the mud on her tattered clothes. She ran her hand across her face, causing streaks of brown to sear themselves onto her skin like scars, and wildly looked around for her companion. "Kureno!! Where the hell are you?!"

An exhausted, brown-haired, tall figure picked its way cautiously over a tangle of bushes and thorns. "R-right here, Akito…" After heaving itself over the brambly bushes, the figure collapsed on the dirt ground, leaning against a massive oak tree. "Ugh…I'm so tired…And this couldn't wait till morning, Akito? Look, it's starting to rain…"

Akito cast an irritated glance in Kureno's direction. "Suck it up, Kureno! It's not like you to complain…" Not waiting for him to reply, she resumed her trek through the forest, ignoring the icy droplets of water splashing on her face. "Let's go! Hurry up! Father was in a clearing at the center of the forest. I think we're almost there."

"We could be walking in circles…" muttered Kureno under his breath.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Nothing! Er, who's in trouble again?"

Akito angrily whirled around. "Kureno, you idiot, I told you a thousand times that I DON'T KNOW!" she said through gritted teeth. "Father only told me that two of the Jyuunishi are in danger. He didn't tell me _which two!_" Frustrated, she kicked the nearest tree as hard as she could manage in her sandals. "Dammit!!"

Just then, lightning flashed, and as the trickle of rain turned into a pouring thunderstorm and wind howled furiously through the trees, Akito finally gave in to her exhaustion and frustration and sank to the muddy ground on her knees. While she wept tears of self-pity and called silently to her father, she felt a comforting touch on her shoulder.

"Akito, look. We're both tired, and we're not going to get anywhere in this rain. Let's wait till morning, or when it stops, and rest for now." Kureno said calmly.

Wiping away her tears, her cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment, Akito slowly stood to face Kureno. As calmly as she could manage, she quietly said, "Well, that's a fine idea and all—resting while it rains—but…one small question…WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO REST?!! These trees' leaves aren't thick enough to stop the rain from penetrating the forest floor and we're in the middle of the woods—away from the Main House or any other buildings! Do you expect me to "rest" in the dirt and mud while icy cold rain falls down and soaks my clothes?! No! Nice thinking, smart ass." Akito smiled smugly, though her eyes were narrowed to cold slits. She glared at Kureno, as if daring him to answer back.

And that, he did.

Just as quietly as Akito had started, Kureno bravely but evenly said, "Listen, Akito. Just _think_ for once." Akito flinched and tightened her fist as if getting ready to strike. Kureno didn't blink or miss a beat. "Yes, we are in the middle of a forest. Do you think you can and will always get your way? We need to work with what we have here. The trees can provide enough shelter for now—they're better than nothing—and yes, I _know _they have thin leaves, but stop complaining! Just be thankful you haven't caught a cold yet, like…Achoo!...me." Kureno sniffed. "Look, I want a warm, dry place to shelter in just as much as you do, but do you see me crying and losing my temper? CALM DOWN. The trees are fine for now—or maybe there's some abandoned cottage or-- Achoo! -- shack near by."

"Dammit, Kureno, stop sneezing on me. You'll get me sick, too." Akito looked disdainfully at him, but didn't raise her hand or voice. Instead, she turned around and started walking deeper into the woods.

Kureno called to her. "Wait, Akito, where are you going?"

"To find a shack or cottage for us. Stay there," came the already distant reply.

Kureno once again slumped against a tree. He breathed a sigh of relief. "I must be the _only_ Zodiac member who can talk to Akito like that and remain unharmed." He smiled inwardly and just for a moment, allowed himself to feel lucky and special. Then he shut his eyes, trying to ignore the torrents of rain and the screaming wind.

* * *

A few moments later (or was it hours?) he opened them to find Akito standing over him, hands on her hips, and her expression mocking. "Well, well. Comfortable enough to fall asleep, are we? I guess I'll just leave you here then , while I go sleep in the _nice, warm, dry_ cottage I found over there." She pointed in the direction she had walked to before and smirked at Kureno, who was still leaning groggily against the tree.

"Eh?...What did you say? You really found a cottage? Where?!" Kureno let it all spill out in a rush, but quickly made an effort to compose himself, even though he was excited. He cleared his throat and looked innocently at Akito, trying to act like he didn't care. "Well, I mean, if leaving me here gives you pleasure, go right ahead. I won't stop you." Kureno shut his eyes and leaned back against the tree.

Akito stared coldly at him for a moment, then actually threw back her head and laughed. "Believe it or not, you dumb ass, leaving you here WON'T give me pleasure. You're coming with me whether you like it or not." At that, she hauled Kureno to his feet and dragged him to the abandoned cottage she had found.

* * *

They stayed there well into the morning, until Akito woke to the sound of mewing cats.

"Kureno!! I hear them!!" Akito cheerfully shouted.

Kureno, still sick and drowsy, could only mumble, "Eh? Hear _who?_"

"Shut up. I'll tell you later," was the irritated yet joyful reply, as Akito shook Kureno awake and violently pulled him out of the cottage.


	9. Tigerpaw, meet Tigerstar

**A/N: Sorry it's been awhile! I've been traveling, so I haven't had much time to write and type this up. Hope you like this chapter--so what have Kyo and Kisa been doing while Akito's been walking through the woods?  
**

* * *

  
Stunned silence followed Firestar's announcement. It was so quiet that the sounds of prey skirting through fallen leaves could be heard from inside the camp.

Firestar looked with interest at his Clan members' expressions. Most of them were gaping, their jaws and eyes stretched wide; some looked angry and others (mainly the other apprentices) glared enviously at Sunpaw.

Sunpaw didn't seem to notice. He was too busy looking at Firestar with a satisfied, smug expression, his pelt bristling in barely suppressed anticipation.

Firestar beckoned him to come over; he strode towards his new mentor confidently, his head held high. They touched noses. Then, Sunpaw leapt off the Highledge.

By now, the Clan cats had seemed to recover from their shock. They gathered around Sunpaw to congratulate him.

Sunpaw took one look back at Firestar, who was staring at him intensely from the Highledge, before disappearing in the crowd of cats heading towards their dens.

* * *

Firestar thoughtfully watched Kyo pad away. Sandstorm, a pretty pale ginger she-cat, and also his mate, came up to him and pressed her flank against his. "Think you made the right choices for their mentors?" she asked. "You seem busy enough—when are you going to find the time to train Sunpaw? And….do you think you can really put up with him and his nasty temper?" she added, an amused spark in her eyes. More seriously, she continued, "And Brambleclaw as Tigerpaw's mentor? Isn't that a little…risky? If Tigerpaw really does have some connection to Tigerstar, then…."

She didn't finish; Firestar knew she didn't have to. Sandstorm was voicing his own fears, but he vowed he would keep a close watch on Tigerpaw and her progress. He remembered Cinderpelt and her warning and longed to talk to her face-to-face again, like they had many times before she died protecting Sorreltail. '_Cinderpelt, Graystripe, Spottedleaf…I need your guidance!'_

Sighing, Firestar reluctantly heaved himself up away from Sandstorm's comforting touch. "I'm going to get some rest," he meowed.

She nodded understandingly. "See you later then," she replied, padding away to the warriors' den.

Firestar went to his own den and laid down on his moss-covered nest. Shutting his eyes, he willingly let sleep overtake him. _'Cinderpelt, Spottedleaf, speak to me…'  
_

* * *

  
Kisa curiously looked around the apprentices' den. She was still in shock over the naming ceremony, and found it hard to believe that she had been accepted into ThunderClan.

Her mentor, Brambleclaw, loomed over her, looking intimidating and menacing. He had accompanied Kisa to "make sure she feels comfortable with the other apprentices" (Firestar's orders).

Brambleclaw gave hard stares to the apprentices who were glancing warily at Kisa and questionably to him. Only one of them, Whitepaw, seemed to get Brambleclaw's unspoken message: "Be nice, or else!"

Whitepaw cautiously approached Kisa and flicked her tail as a friendly greeting. "Hey, Tigerpaw! My name's Whitepaw. Do you want to sleep next to me?" she asked, staring at Kisa with eyes brimming with genuine kindliness and curiosity.

Kisa looked at Whitepaw, realizing that she looked a lot like Cloudtail. They both had a fluffy white pelt and blue/green eyes. '_They must be related,_' she decided. "…Hi, Whitepaw," Kisa timidly meowed. "Er….sure, I'd love to!" She looked up at Brambleclaw, who gave a tiny nod of approval.

Whitepaw dipped her head respectfully to Brambleclaw, then beckoned to Kisa to follow her.

Brambleclaw watched to two young apprentices pad away together to the back of the den. Whitepaw was chattering away about apprentice duties and their Clan's customs while Kisa listened intently. '_Well, I guess I'm not needed here after all…_' he thought.

As he turned towards the den entrance, a sharp call reached his ears. "Yo, Brambleclaw!"

Brambleclaw whirled around to see who was calling him like that. He found himself staring at Kyo, who was padding arrogantly towards him, his head tilted proudly. When he reached Brambleclaw, he didn't bother to dip his head respectfully. _'What a full-of-himself mousebrain!' _Brambleclaw thought. _'He's viewing me like we're equals!' _

He forced himself to stay calm and not put the cocky apprentice in his place, right then and there, in the apprentices' den. "Yes, Sunpaw? What do you want?" Brambleclaw asked as politely as he could manage.

"When do we start our training? Me and Ki—Tigerpaw?"

'_Well, at least he's calling Kisa by the correct name.' _"That's for your mentor to decide," Brambleclaw meowed. "If your mentor were a normal warrior, I'd let you go ask him yourself. But, your mentor just happens to be ThunderClan's _leader_, so you'll have to just wait till tomorrow, or whenever Firestar can take a break from some his _many important duties _to train you."

After hearing that, Kyo looked somewhat crestfallen, Brambleclaw realized. Regretting his talking so harshly he added, "But I'll talk with Firestar, okay? I'll tell him you're eager to train and I'll send word to you once he decides."

"Really? All right!" Kyo meowed happily, and instinctively made a movement away from Brambleclaw, towards his nest, when he froze awkwardly, remembering who he was talking to. He moved his eyes away from Brambleclaw's steady and expectant gaze. "Er….Thanks, Brambleclaw," Kyo sheepishly added.

Brambleclaw tilted his head as acknowledgment, flicked his tail as a farewell, and calmly padded out into the camp, which was well shrouded in darkness by now.

Kyo watched him go. '_I wonder what it's like to be him…Clan deputy…' _He decided, '_I want to be like him one day…'  
_

* * *

  
Kisa looked over at Kyo from her nest next to Whitepaw's. '_He seems to be okay…I can't be sure, though. I haven't really talked with him since before that fight we had in Firestar's den.' _

She was just about to call over to him when he shouted to Brambleclaw ('_quite disrespectfully…'_ she thought) and started talking enthusiastically.

Shaking away her feeling of jealousy that Kyo could act that laid-back in front of important cats like Brambleclaw, Kisa laid down on the mossy nest Whitepaw had fixed for her. The white cat was already asleep, her fur rising and falling steadily. Kisa blinked, looked over at Kyo one more time (he was still talking to Brambleclaw), and closed her weary amber eyes, letting sleep crash over her.

* * *

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!"

'…_.Huh? Where am I?'_ Kisa opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the middle of an island surrounded by sparkling blue water. The sky above her was pitch black, though, with no stars in sight. Towering in front of her was a rock—a boulder actually. _'What the--? I was sleeping next to Whitepaw just a moment ago!'_

Kisa slowly looked up to the top of the boulder. It was then that she noticed something: she was not alone.

"Tigerpaw, it's very nice to see you once again," a cat meowed.

Kisa shivered and slowly backed away from the boulder. "Uh…have we met? Who are you?" She flattened her ears in fear and suspicion.

A deep 'mmrow' of amused laughter escaped from the strange cat. It stepped forward and peered at Kisa from the edge of the boulder. "Don't you remember? I visited you the night before you arrived in ThunderClan," it said. "I'm sure Firestar has mentioned me."

When Kisa shook her head, still wary, it continued, "No? Hmph, I'm surprised….My name is Tigerstar. I was once a great leader of ShadowClan, and before that, a deputy of ThunderClan."

Kisa was in shock. She gazed up at Tigerstar and stammered excitedly, "T-Tigerstar?! Tiger--….your name! Your pelt!...and eyes…." A shiver shocked her from her head to the tip of her tail. It wasn't from fear, though. It was a feeling of déjà vu. Astonishment. Awe.

She stood frozen, staring at Tigerstar with her jaw open. '_This cat looks like me! He and I share similar names!...But, __**why**__, exactly, is he here? And where is "here", anyway?' _

Tigerstar found her reaction deeply amusing. "Yes, I'm _Tiger_star. Firestar, no doubt, gave you the name _Tiger_paw because you remind him of me…" he paused. "In some way or another…." he muttered, mostly to himself. Continuing, almost as if reading her thoughts, he meowed, "Anyway, I'll be visiting you in your dreams--…yes, this is a _dream_….I'll be visiting you in your dreams now and then. I'm sorry, but we won't be able to meet in person…yet. Though you might be timid now, you'll see in time how alike you and I really are. I'm going to teach you to be a great, fearless, courageous warrior, just like the legendary Firestar. I promise you, Tigerpaw, that you will be the most powerful cat in the forest, the fairest and the bravest, and you will return to where you came from with great honor."

Kisa could think of nothing to say after Tigerstar finished. She was too busy processing all the thoughts Tigerstar had fed to her mind. _'Greatest cat…bravest, fearless--…me?! No way!...powerful, honor…I'm timid now, but later--…'_

Finally, she was able to manage a "Th-thank you!" and, bowing respectfully to Tigerstar, she said she had to go.

Tigerstar kept his intense amber gaze on her, as he watched her leave the clearing and walk into the shadows of the night. Then he jumped off the boulder and disappeared, too, in the other direction.

As Kisa padded away from the clearing, the thoughts still flared insistently in her mind, like a flame unwilling to die out. '_I'm going to wake up, and this will have never happened. It was a dream! Nothing in a dream will really come true…' _

They stayed there, even as she was suddenly pulled from her dream and awoke to a shriek from a cat in the apprentices' den

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it isn't longer...I can't really write long chapters, but I'm working on it! The next chapter will be up soon, I hope...**

**Please review! **


	10. Tiger Emerges!

**A/N: This must be the longest chapter I've written so far! YAY for me! I'm so proud of myself...Again, sorry this took so long! With school starting and everything, I'm under alot of stress now. But I work on this fanfiction whenever I can, really! I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
**

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers (reviews make me so happy :D), and welcome to any new readers! **

* * *

"Great StarClan, what's wrong?!" 

Kisa's eyes shot open. Glaring sunlight threatened to blind her as she tried to focus her blurry vision. Next to her, Whitepaw was hissing; when she came to, Kisa could see Whitepaw's fur was bristling as she directed a question at Kyo.

"Sunpaw! What in StarClan's name is going on with you?"

Kisa looked curiously over at Kyo, who was also hissing and spitting violently, his orange fur sticking out like spiky needles. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion and anger, and his unsheathed claws dug into the ground. "Don't give me that 'what's going on' crap! Oh, nothing is wrong with me…except that _some bastard_ sneaked up on me just a few minutes ago and did this!" He spun around, showing off deep gashes raked down on his back. It looked like some cat had sprung on Kyo and slashed him across his back as hard as it could.

Kisa gasped. "Ky—Sunpaw, it's bleeding!"

Kyo peered over his shoulder and saw that the wound had, indeed, begun to bleed quite heavily. "All right, who did this?!" Kyo angrily demanded. "I swear, I will--"

"ENOUGH." Whitepaw had had enough. She rolled her eyes at Kyo, who had stopped short and was now glaring at her with undisguised indignation. She glared back. "Cut the act, Sunpaw. You're no warrior. None of us apprentices would do that; if I were you, I'd go see Leafpool at once. Then I'd go and tell Firestar, or Brambleclaw, what happened. Now, that makes more sense, doesn't it, than just standing there bleeding while threatening us, hmm? GO. Go see Leafpool." She flicked her tail towards the den entrance, casting an irritated glance in Kyo's direction.

Kyo tried his hardest to bite back a sharp retort. He wanted nothing more than to ask that cat who the hell she thinks she is. Who was she to talk to him like that?! She was just an apprentice…After all, back in his world, he would've been much older than her. (A/N: Kyo's about the same age as a warrior. Kisa is about the same age as an apprentice.) Who was she to talk down to him, then?

'_We're equals, in a way. What right has she to order me around like that_?!' Kyo furiously thought. _'Thinks she's better than me, now does she? Well, I'll show her…just wait till I start my training, you bitch! Then we'll see who superior!'_

Kyo rolled his eyes and yawned pointedly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Why don't YOU cut the act? I'm tired of being talked to and treated like nothing; you guys are no greater than I am! Now," he paused and held his head high, trying to maintain his so-called "authority" and continued, "Who the hell is Leafpool? Where is he?"

Whitepaw gave him a disgusted look. "Ugh…this is only your first day of being an official member of our clan and I'm _sick _of your attitude already! _How _am I ever going to survive training and sleeping in the same den as you?!" She shook her head in annoyance. "Who's Leafpool? _She's _our medicine cat, stupid furball! I'm telling you to go and show her your cuts. She'll be able to help…if she _wants _to help you, ungrateful mousebrain." Whitepaw muttered under her breath.

Kyo caught that last statement and sank his claws deeper into the ground. "How DARE you, you--"

"Shut it, Sunpaw! Just go already!" It was Whitepaw's turn to roll her eyes as she sharply cut Kyo off. '_He just can't take a hint, can he?'_ She flicked her tail towards the exit in finality and walked out herself, calling over her shoulder, "I'm going hunting with Brakenfur. See you all later."

When her white pelt disappeared out of sight, the few apprentices caught between Whitepaw's unusual anger and Kyo's defiant attitude breathed a sigh of relief. After casting worried/annoyed glances in Kyo's direction, they, too, went outside, heading to find their mentors or to the elders' den if they had chores to do there, leaving Kyo and Kisa alone in the apprentice den.

Kyo sorted in disgust and disbelief and clawed at an invisible cat in front of him. He looked over at Kisa, just noticing that she was there, nervously staring at him. "Can you _believe _her?! I mean, really, acting like she knows best and all. Does she really think I'm going to listen to her and go see this Leafpool? Well, I'm sure not!" Kyo glanced at Kisa expectantly, as if waiting for her to back him up.

She only shuffled her paws and looked away from him. "Er…I think you'd better listen to her, Kyo…umm, Sunpaw, I mean. I'm sure Leafpool will heal that gash on your back." She shuddered after risking a glance at it. "Besides, Whitepaw's really nice…She was talking to be last night and everything…" _'While you were just bothering Brambleclaw…' _she thought.

Kyo abruptly stiffened and narrowed his eyes at Kisa. "Oh, okay. I get it. You're siding with her. So you don't believe me when I say somebody in this den made this gash on my back?! It WAS someone in here, I'm telling you!"

Kisa quietly said, "She _could _be right. I mean, why would someone here to that to you?"

"Well, I don't know! Maybe they were jealous or something, or--"

"Jealous? Of who?" a cat meowed.

Kisa and Kyo whirled around to face the entrance. Brambleclaw had just walked in and was now waiting for Kyo's response.

Kyo flattened his ears in anger. "Of me! I don't know why the hell they would be, but look! Look at this!" He turned around, facing his back towards Brambleclaw. Kyo heard the deputy's sharp intake of breath.

"When….when did this happen?" Brambleclaw slowly asked.

Kyo let out an exasperated sigh. "_Just. A. Few. Minutes. Ago._" he said through gritted teeth. "Somebody in here obviously thought it'd be nice to claw my back while I was sleeping!"

"Sunpaw, I--" Kisa started.

Brambleclaw abruptly cut her off. "Go and see Leafpool, she's our medicine cat, _now_. Her den is across the clearing. Then, I suggest you go see Firestar. Tell him what happened; he'll know what to do." He nodded for Kyo to head out.

Kyo opened his jaws as if he was going to protest, but quickly closed them when he noticed Brambleclaw's 'don't complain; do it' look. After shooting a glare in Kisa's direction, Kyo walked out irritably and headed to Leafpool's den.

Brambleclaw watched him go and sighed. To Kisa he said, "And you are to come with me. I have decided that we'll start your training today by getting to know our Clan boundaries, and maybe starting to work on hunting techniques." He noticed that Kisa, who was looking dejected, instantly perked up at the mention of starting her training.

"Now, follow me. If we go now, we might be able to catch up with Whitepaw and Brackenfur on the way."

* * *

Kyo walked through a curtain of moss into Leafpool's den. He noticed that it was surprisingly big—it had a few mossy nests scattered around for patients, a whole side wall of the den housed clumps and bundles of herbs, flowers, and others supplies, and further in, there was a separate room for Leafpool's nest—it was chilly, _and _it was empty. He shivered, glanced around quickly, and began backing out of the den, thinking he could escape treatment and go straight to Firestar. 

"Sunpaw, where do you think you're going?" came a collected female voice.

'_Damn! I was so close!' _Kyo froze and glanced over his shoulder. His arrogant gaze met Leafpool's calm put piercing amber eyes. He saw that she had a sleek, brown pelt and had several cobwebs around her paws.

Kyo flushed in embarrassment. "Er…getting some fresh air," he mumbled. He thought he saw the corners of Leafpool's mouth twitch in amusement. Wanting to distract her from his all-too-obvious attempt at running away, he asked, "Umm…what're those cobwebs for?"

Leafpool's amber eyes didn't leave Kyo's face. "Oh, they're for stopping bleeding. It looks like I was right to go and get some—you're bleeding quite heavily there!" Shock and worry flickered in her eyes for a second, soon replaced by her signature calmly authoritive one. "When and how did this happen?"

Kyo slumped his shoulders in defeat. It looked like he wasn't going to escape getting treated or the constant questions. For what seemed like the thousandth time today, he found himself explaining, yet again, what he was sure happened.

Throughout his retelling of the events, Leafpool didn't even blink once. She just sat there, the cobwebs still on her paws, staring at Kyo. Though he didn't want to admit it, Kyo was getting uncomfortable under Leafpool's steady gaze. She reminded him of someone…

When he finished, Leafpool immediately said, "Well, Sunpaw, I think you'd best go and see Firestar when I'm done with you. Tell him what happened…Oh, and I don't believe any apprentice would--"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it already." Kyo snapped. "More than once, too. Everyone tells me the same thing but, I swear, someone in that den did it! I know!"

"—Be able to make a gash that deep," Leafpool continued, as if she had not been interrupted. "Anyway, go over there and sit down on one of those nests." She pointed her tail towards one of the many mossy nests on one side of the den.

Kyo (surprisingly) obeyed without complaint. He sat down and waited.

Leafpool strode over with a clump of leaves in her mouth and the cobwebs wrapped around her paws. "This might sting," she warned him, breaking into a few of the leaves with her teeth until sticky liquid flowed out. She smeared the liquid onto Kyo's back and started pressing the cobwebs into the gash.

Kyo hissed under his breath. It definitely did sting. It felt like his back was on fire. But, there was something else besides the sting of the liquid seeping into the gash that made his belly clench. He shivered. From what, he did not know.

* * *

Kisa followed Brambleclaw excitedly out of ThunderClan's camp. _'Yes! I'm starting my training! Just wait till I tell K--' _Suddenly, her cheer drained away and her tail started to drag along the forest floor. '_Wait, he probably wouldn't want to talk to me after our fight this morning…'_

Brambleclaw looked down and noticed Kisa's sudden change in temperament. "Tigerpaw, what's wrong?" he curiously meowed.

Kisa stiffened and tried to sound somewhat perky. The last thing she wanted was Brambleclaw (who would probably tell Firestar) knowing how she and Kyo were getting along! "Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" She lifted her head up and looked around, seeing trees around her that seemed to stretch for miles. "So…uh, where to first?"

Brambleclaw sighed inwardly. She didn't trust him, did she? '_Well, she IS new. We haven't gotten to know and respect each other as mentor and apprentice yet…She'll have to learn to open up in the future…though not as much as her friend Sunpaw,' _he thought, starting to laugh to himself when he remembered how foolishly arrogant Sunpaw had acted. '_Well, once Firestar is done training him, I'm sure he'll be a …decent warrior.' _

To Kisa, he said, "We'll go to our border with ShadowClan first…You'll need to recognize their scent and where they can attack from. Yes—out of all four of the clans, ShadowClan has always been sort of a treat to us." His eyes clouded over, and he paused, his mind traveling back and remembering many events from the past.

Kisa looked at Brambleclaw and shuddered. He looked as if he was reliving horrible moments from his memory. She found herself yearning to know what they were, though she told herself she would probably find out in time. Instead, she tentatively meowed, "Uh, FOUR clans? So far, I've only heard of two. What are the others called?"

Brambleclaw violently shook his head and focused his eyes on Kisa, who was looking at him curiously. "Oh….there's WindClan, who probably are, or were, considered our closest allies, and RiverClan…" '_Where Hawkfrost is…'_ he thought distractedly. "…Anyway, we're going to head towards ShadowClan now. Follow me closely and try to remember this path. Oh, and if you can see, hear, or scent any prey, feel free to chase after it and catch it if you can. This will help me evaluate you and figure out what I need to teach you in the future."

Kisa determinedly nodded her head and set off in the direction of ShadowClan with Brambleclaw. It felt weird, feeling soft ground underneath her paws, being surrounded by towering trees, and being able to scent and hear prey skirting through fallen leaves. After all, she had never transformed into a tiger for _this _long…already, her parents, school, Akito and her obsession with the curse, and even Hiro seemed so far away. This forest was her home…for now.

Along the way, while trying to memorize the path they were taking, Kisa thought of Kyo and what he had said about an apprentice scratching him. She highly doubted that was true. All the apprentices seemed fairly nice. None of them seemed hostile towards Kyo…except Whitepaw. '_Maybe she did it?' _Kisa wondered. '_No, she wouldn't! Whitepaw's too nice of a cat to do something like that…'_

Suddenly, a horrible smell struck her senses numb for a moment. Not wanting to sound rude, she said as politely as she could, "Er….Brambleclaw? Could you please tell me what that smell is?"

Brambleclaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Hmm, that's the nicest I've heard anyone react to that smell! That's ShadowClan's sent for you!"

He and Kisa stopped at the edge of a dark forest. They had just crossed several roads (Thunderpaths, according to Brambleclaw) and were now standing at the edge of ShadowClan's territory. "It is said that the cold wind that blows across their territory chills their hearts. You can't trust a ShadowClan warrior…so it seems." Brambleclaw said, rather sadly. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, that's ShadowClan's territory. Just be careful not to---" He broke off suddenly when a mouse darted right in front of Kisa and she unexpectedly shot after it…right into ShadowClan's territory. "—trespass onto their land," Brambleclaw finished, groaning and chasing after Kisa.

She was surprisingly quick and agile for a lost kittypet, Brambleclaw noted. He was actually falling behind. Trying to quicken his pace while keeping on the lookout for a ShadowClan patrol, he called to Kisa as loudly as he dared try without alerting the ShadowClan cats of the intruders. "Kisa!! Kisa, stop!" She didn't stop, pause, or even take a breath it seemed to Brambleclaw, but kept on her pursuit of the mouse.

Brambleclaw's paws were starting to ache. ShadowClan's territory was void of grass, littered with rocks jutting out of the forest floor, and filled with large mud puddles.

Finally, he spotted Kisa…in RiverClan territory. _'Oh, for StarClan's sake!'_ He burst forward through ShadowClan's territory and onto RiverClan's just in time to see Kisa leap onto the mouse and put it between her jaws while it was still squirming. She noticed Brambleclaw, who was wildly panting, and walked over to him, her eyes glimmering with pride and joy. She hardly seemed out of breath.

'_Wow. That was great! For her first catch, I mean. And—wait, I should've told her BEFORE we set out not to step a paw into another Clan's territory!' _He groaned in disappointment with himself, and quickly beckoned for Kisa to come over. She reached his side and looked up to him, almost expectantly, as if waiting for his praise. Instead, he sternly told her, "Tigerpaw, I'll admit that was great for a first try, but I have something very important to tell you. The warrior code prevents us from crossing over into different Clan's territories. It's disrespectful, and may also seem like a treat to the other Clan. Now, come with me….and you can take the mouse with you, since you did spot it on _our _territory. Hurry, before we're spotted."

Kisa flattened her ears in shame. She had only wanted to….what, prove herself? '_I'm not THAT desperate to prove myself. That's Kyo's job…What WAS I trying to do? What was I thinking?!' _She had felt so free running through the forest like that--like no one could stop her. She almost felt _powerful_, like a fearless leader rushing into battle. _'What's wrong with me? I shouldn't know what THAT feels like! I'm only an apprentice! I shouldn't have done that!' _She let her tail drag on the floor as she dejectedly followed Brambleclaw, the mouse still wriggling in her jaws, her eyes directed down to her paws.

It was then that she noticed clumps of orange fur stuck in between her claws.

* * *

A pair of ice blue eyes silently watched Brambleclaw and Kisa leave RiverClan territory from a bunch of tall river weeds. They blinked, then disappeared like the brief shimmer of water when it catches the rays of the sun.

* * *

Kyo left Leafpool's den and walked to Firestar's. His back still stung but the rest of his body felt numb. And he didn't know why. "Damn…" 

He took a deep breath and strode into the leader's den, not bothering to announce his presence. Firestar was (once again) pacing around his den. When he noticed Kyo, he motioned for him to sit down, not even bothering to admonish him. "Sunpaw, I've heard about what happened."

"What? How did you--?" A bewildered Kyo asked.

"…I have my ways. Anyway, I want to tell you that I am absolutely sure that _none _of the apprentices would do a thing like that. Sure, they might be jealous….perhaps because you have _me _as a mentor….but they would _never_ harm you…unless…" He paused, thinking to himself, '_Unless…NO, it couldn't be! It's too soon…' _He looked at Kyo. "Never mind. I'll do my best to try and find out exactly what happened. In the meantime, does it hurt that much?" Firestar asked, gesturing to the gash, freshly wrapped in cobwebs, on Kyo's back. "I see Leafpool has done an exceptional job treating it for you…If it still hurts, we might have to postpone your training."

Kyo jumped up and, ignoring the insistent sting of pain on his back, he shouted, "No, you can't do that! I saw Tigerpaw head out today, to train I guess, and I want to, too! Otherwise--" He broke off, hearing Firestar's amused laughter. "What's so funny?!"

"Don't worry, Sunpaw! I was kidding. You'll start your training tomorrow." Firestar reassured him, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Just rest for a day. We don't want that cut of yours to start bleeding again…For now, I need you to---"

His ears flicked; he heard pawsteps rushing to his den. Then, Whitepaw, her eyes alight with fear, burst in and meowed urgently, "Firestar, there are Twolegs on our territory!"

* * *

**A/N: There you have it, the longest chapter so far! Hope you all liked it! **

**Just to warn all of you now: the next chapter probably (most likely) won't be up for awhile (which means a few weeks to a month, unfortunately). I'm trying my hardest to work on it, but lately, I've been really busy. Not to mention that I've got writers' block again...  
**

**Anyway, until next time!  
**

**-Red Princess-  
**


	11. The Race Is On!

**OMG, please forgive me for taking absolutely way too long with this crappy chapter. I blame it all on school--the teachers are just piling on one project after another. D: **

**I owe you guys a long chapter, I know. This one's really short...I kinda wanted to get it up sooner so you guys wouldn't be wondering if I was ever going to update. Even though, as I said before, this is a REALLY crappy chapter, I hope you'll like it. I don't really have writers' block anymore, so I know what I want to happen in the next one; it should be up soon, hopefully. **

**Also, please leave a review. I will update sooner if I get more reviews. ;D **

* * *

Kyo's head shot up, his ears pricked at the immediate sense of danger. Next to him, Firestar leapt up and darted to Whitepaw, whose eyes were wide with fear. 

"Where are they?" he demanded.

Whitepaw gulped. "O-over at the edge of our territory—at the border with RiverClan."

"Thank you," Firestar said. He bounded out of his den, calling over his shoulder, "You two—stay here." Then, he was gone, leaving Kyo and Whitepaw alone in the den.

An uncomfortable silence settled; outside, they could hear Firestar yelling to Sandstorm, Brackenfur, and Squirrelflight.

"Go find Brambleclaw and Tigerpaw. Warn them."

"You two, follow me."

'_I should be the one to go and find them...Why is it that I'm left behind__** again**__?...with WHITEPAW, of all the cats…'_ he thought scornfully.

He looked at Whitepaw, who seemed to be calming down. She glanced at him, looking unsure of herself for once. The same could be said for Kyo.

Whitepaw glanced down at her paws, obviously nervous about being with Kyo after their last meeting in the apprentices' den. "So…uh, Sunpaw…when are you starting your training?" she timidly asked, unable to think of something better to say.

'_What the hell? What nerve…after how she treated me back in the den, NOW she's trying to act nice?! She must be an idiot if she thinks I'm going to forgive her now!' _Kyo rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, Whitepaw. I know you hate me, alright? You think you're better than be, now don't you? Now, why don't we have a little contest here…"

Whitepaw's features hardened at Kyo's words, though she couldn't deny what he said was true. Her eyes lit up at the idea of a challenge. "You name it."

Kyo smiled approvingly. "Okay…You see, I have no intention of following Firestar's orders," he started, glancing sideways at Whitepaw. "…First one to get rid of these 'Twolegs' without being noticed by Firestar wins."

Whitepaw took a moment to decide. '_Wow….he sure is desperate to prove himself. That arrogant mousebrain…well, why not? I'm not losing to him!'_"You're on!" she shot at Kyo, hunching her shoulders, getting ready to bolt out the den.

"Hang on, I'm not finished yet. The loser will have to do whatever the winner says, you got me? And the winner can say whatever they want to; the loser HAS to obey," Kyo added, smirking. '_And there's no way in hell that the loser will be me!' _"Ready?"

"You bet!" came the heated response.

"Good. Just a little warning, though: I'm gonna kick your ass!" Kyo shouted, shooting out of the den.

* * *

Kisa sullenly followed Brambleclaw through the forest, her mind clouded with thoughts. _'WHAT is wrong with me?! First I ran impulsively into RiverClan's territory…and then I saw this orange fur…in MY claws. How did it get there? Does it belong to Kyo? Does that mean that I'M the one who wounded him?!' _She felt her fur start to tingle uncomfortably, realizing that she might've hurt Kyo. 

Brambleclaw turned around, fixing his eyes on her sternly. "Walk a little faster. We're almost--" His expression softened when he noticed how sad she looked. "Hey, what's wrong, Tigerpaw? Are you okay?" he asked, regretting talking so harshly. Besides, it wasn't really her fault that she had run into RiverClan's territory. She was new, after all; she didn't know the rules of the Warrior Code yet.

Kisa looked up. "Oh, uh, nothing Brambleclaw, really!" she said hurriedly, burning up after realizing how un-convincing she sounded.

Brambleclaw sighed inwardly. '_She's at it again…I've got to show her that she can trust me, as apprentices are supposed to of their mentors…'_He opened his mouth, about to tell he was doubtful that "nothing" was wrong, when an urgent call reached his ears. His ears pricked towards the noise, as did Kisa's.

"Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!" A flaming orange pelt came into view through the thick foliage that crowded ThunderClan's territory.

Brambleclaw stiffened. "Squirrelflight? What do you want? What's wrong?" he called.

Squirrelflight burst through a particularly thick bush of brambles, cursing gently under her breath as they ripped through her pelt. "C'mon you stupid furball! Don't just stand there! Help me, will you?" she shot a Brambleclaw, embarrassed though she didn't act like it.

A 'mmrow' of laughter escaped from Brambleclaw. He walked over and gently eased her out of the bush. "You should know better, Squirrelflight! What kind of warrior are you?" he teased her.

"Oh shut up, mousebrain." Squirrelflight rolled her eyes and batted Brambleclaw with her paw. She seemed to be about to say something else when she suddenly remembered why she was rushing over to him in the first place. "OH, OH, Brambleclaw! Firestar told me to warn you that there are Twolegs in our territory!"

"Twolegs? Where?" Brambleclaw hissed, unsheathing his paws. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kisa look around, almost _hopefully_, he thought.

Squirrelflight shook her head, worried. "I don't know! Firestar rushed off without telling me where they are!" Suddenly, she crouched down, instantly abandoning her fear. Her eyes lit up with the idea of a challenge. Glaring at Brambleclaw, she said, "Ready, Brambleclaw? First one to find and chase off the Twolegs wins!"

Brambleclaw sighed. "Really, Squirrelflight. What kind of warrior are you?!"

"One that actually has time for some fun," she shot back, flicking her tail. "So, you want a go or not? Scared?"

"Of course not!" Brambleclaw hissed, narrowing his eyes at her. "It's just not a good example for Tigerpaw here if we go rushing off into danger!"

"Oh, come on! We've had it worse! Remember when we went on that journey? We faced tons of danger then! And these are just some lousy Twolegs! We can handle 'em!" she mewed, her voice already tight with excitement. "Tigerpaw, just pretend this whole thing didn't happen," she said, grinning at her.

Brambleclaw glanced at Kisa. She stared at him, her amber eyes wide open in interest, not fear, surprisingly. He took a deep breath. "Tigerpaw…I'm going to go with Squirrelflight to try and find the Twolegs. You head back to camp—that way," he flicked his tail in the direction Squirrelflight came from.

Kisa nodded her head, faintly disappointed. "Yes, Brambleclaw." She turned around and slowly disappeared through the bushes.

"Be careful!" yelled Brambleclaw, full of worry. To Squirrelflight, he said, "I don't think this is such a good idea…"

"I'm not arguing with you anymore. I don't see what's so hard about this! It's just a few Twolegs! Let's go!" Squirrelflight snapped, running off in the opposite direction Kisa went.

Sighing again, Brambleclaw had no choice but to follow her, unwilling to let her get in harm's way either. '_Tigerpaw will be fine,'_ he tried to reassure himself. '_She'll be fine.'_


	12. The Twolegs

Whoo, another chapter typed And it's long too! -claps for myself-

Hope you all like :D

* * *

Kisa sullenly made her way back to the camp. _'…And I kinda wanted to go with Brambleclaw…maybe these Twolegs are Akito and Kureno and-- … oh, well that's wishful thinking. Too good to be true.' _Because as much as she enjoyed talking with Whitepaw and Cloudtail, she just wanted to go home. 

'_Ever since I saw that orange fur in my claws, I've been frightened. And those dreams with Tigerstar, him promising to make me so powerful and all…well, they make me uneasy. I don't want power if I'm going to hurt my friends. I feel so sorry for Kyo – I can't believe that I could've done that to him! I wonder if he's okay…I should go apologize to--'_ "…Kyo?"

Kisa was almost at the entrance to ThunderClan's camp when she saw a bolt of orange fur dart out of the tunnel. It was soon followed by a shock of white. "Kyo? Whitepaw?"

They shot away from the camp, heading off in the direction she had seen Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight go. "Wait, where are you two going?" she called, getting no answer.

Sighing, she wondered what Kyo was up to now. She was worried. '_Maybe I should go after him…? No, that'd only make him ever madder…unless…he doesn't know that I'm following him…but that'd be like stalking him….Oh, what should I do?!' _ She shut her eyes in worry, and paused for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest around her. She could hear birds chirping, prey scurrying through the leaves, and…shouts in the distance. It sounded to her like Firestar….and Brambleclaw…and Kyo.

'_Go on, Tigerpaw. Go after him! He's after the Twolegs…show him what you've got! You can beat him there, you can get rid of the Twolegs before he does….and Firestar will honor you for it! GO!' _

"Ugh, it's that voice again….Tigerstar's…." Kisa's ears flattened in fear. She tried shaking her head to rid her thoughts of his words. It wasn't working.

'_C'mon, you know you can do it! You're the fastest apprentice in ThunderClan. You'll be able to reach the Twolegs before Sunpaw will! Show all of them what you're made of!' _

"Mmm…no…" Kisa muttered, feeling the forest spin around her as if she was in a bad dream.

'_You will be honored! The most advanced apprentice in ThunderClan! Go and drive those Twolegs away! It will make you feel good -- powerful and unbeatable!' _

"Errgh…" The forest floor seemed to give way as she was sucked back into her nightmare. Everything swam before her eyes.

'_Go, go, GO, Tigerpaw! Drive them off! I promise you, great things will happen if you do! Now, GO!' _

A massive cat suddenly appeared before her, narrowing his amber eyes forcefully. He snarled, and the sound of it echoed throughout her mind. "Errghh……okay, FINE!" she yelled, to no one in particular.

The sound of it startled the birds, which instantly flew away. But everything stopped twisting and turning. The forest became normal again.

Kisa stood still for a moment, breathing heavily. She felt as if she had just awoken from a terrible nightmare. Looking around, she realized that the sun was beginning to set, casting shadows on the forest floor. _'Is it that late already?' _she confusedly thought. '_Mmm, never mind. I have to find Kyo.' _

With that, she headed off in the direction he had run.

* * *

"Hey, I hear something!" Kyo called excitedly. He was almost out of breath, but that didn't slow him down. _'I've got to drive these Twolegs off! Then Firestar'll see that I'm definitely above 'apprentice' level!' _

Whitepaw wasn't far behind him. "Sunpaw, I seem them!" she suddenly gasped, excitement lighting up her eyes.

"What, really?" Sure enough, looking ahead, he spotted two tall figures making their way through the trees. "Whoa, I see them too! C'mon, let's hurry before Firestar beats us!"

With a massive burst of energy, Kyo sprinted ahead of Whitetail and crashed through the bushes in front of him. "I'm there, I can see them, they're right here, I've got them!" he yelled out in a rush. When he made it through the last clump of foliage, his eyes widened when he realized who he was going to "ambush". He stopped short, freezing in place. Whitepaw's shout of, "Sunpaw, don't drive them off yet! Wait for me!" seemed very far away.

The remaining leaves cleared from his view, leaving him face-to-face with none other than Akito and Kureno.

* * *

Kisa ran through the forest, following Kyo's scent. She was all alone; no intimidating Brambleclaw or Firestar, no temperamental Kyo, no friendly-but-talkative Whitepaw. It felt great, she realized. She felt _free. _

'_This is awesome! I feel so great, just like Tigerstar promised. Maybe listening to him isn't that bad after all…' _

Just then, she heard a shout. '_Sounds like Whitepaw…' _

Whitepaw's call of "Wait for me!" reached Kisa's pricked ears. _'Kyo probably spotted the Twolegs already. I've got to hurry so he doesn't get himself into trouble again…but where is he? I lost his scent trail!' _

Kisa spun around in circles hurriedly, trying to pinpoint where Whitepaw's shout came from. Birds soared into flight all around her; prey scurried away in fright. All the movement was distracting her.

Suddenly, she saw something – a flash of white fur, straight across of her through a bramble thicket. '_Whitepaw?' _Taking a deep breath, she forgot about "not letting Kyo or Whitepaw know that she was following them", and shot through the thicket, ignoring the pain spreading through her flank.

It was then that she, too, was faced directly with two people that looked very familiar – Akito and Kureno.

A shock of excitement spread through her body. They hadn't seen her yet; they were too busy staring in disbelief at an orange cat at their feet – Kyo.

* * *

Kyo stared, dumbstruck, at the two saviors in front of him. _'I don't believe this…Akito and Kureno?! Here, in this forest of hell?! No way! This is too good to be true! I can go home now – finally!' _

Forgetting that Whitepaw was coming up behind him, he immediately ran up to the "Twolegs", not thinking about what Whitepaw would think when she saw him acting friendly with them.

"Akito! Kureno! You've come! Save me, please!" he shouted….in vain. He realized too late that they were human – they couldn't understand what he was saying. So how were they going to communicate?!

'_Shit….'_

* * *

Akito looked down in joy at the orange cat meowing at her feet. She couldn't understand what it was saying, but she was sure that it was Kyo. The cat was too orange to be anyone else.

"Kyo, I've finally found you! You've got to come with me, because I heard that you're in danger…assuming it _is _you Father was talking about…"

The cat at her feet cocked its head in understanding. It opened its mouth as if to say something, but only a faint 'meow' came out. Its ears flattened in frustration.

"Kureno! Help me find the other one! Kisa has to be around here somewhere, too!"

The orange cat perked its head up and let out a 'meow', gesturing with its tail for Kureno to follow it.

Akito picked up what it was trying to tell them. "Kureno, follow Kyo! I think he knows where Kisa is."

Kureno nodded and set off after Kyo, who had crashed through the bushes again.

"I'll stay here in case more of the Jjuunishi decide to show themselves."

* * *

Kisa's heart leapt in joy when Akito mentioned her name. '_He's _(A/N: Kisa and Kyo and the rest of the younger Jjuunishi don't know Akito's a girl, right?) _going to bring me home! I'll get to see Mom, and Dad, and Tohru…and Hiro again! I've got to catch up to Kyo and Kureno…either that or I could show myself right now…' _

Quickly making up her mind, Kisa took a deep breath and moved a paw forward, preparing to step out of the bushes to Akito.

Suddenly, a loud voice called out to her, making Akito's and Kisa's heads whip around to see where it was coming from.

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw! Get away! There's a Twoleg there; why don't you carefully come back here, to us, so it doesn't spot you. We'll take care of it."

Kisa silently cursed herself under her breath for not moving away faster. Turning around, she had no choice but to head towards to two figures crashing through the foliage: Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw.

* * *

Kyo ran through the bushes, hastily trying to avoid Whitepaw while leading Kureno to ThunderClan's camp.

"Sunpaw, what in StarClan's name are you doing?! Do you know what will happen when someone sees you willingly _leading _a Twoleg to our camp?!" Whitepaw furiously yelled, sprinting after Kyo.

"Shut it, Whitepaw! I know what I'm doing!"

"Oh? You know what you're doing?! You're going to put the whole of ThunderClan in danger!"

"I said, shut it!" Kyo yelled back, losing his temper again. He flicked his tail to Kureno, who was running at his side, as a signal to keep following him.

'_Oh, we're almost there! I'm finding Kisa as quickly as I can and getting the hell outta here!' _

Speeding up his pace, he let the whole forest pass by as a blur as he bolted straight to the clearing that marked the beginning of ThunderClan's camp, hearing Kureno's loud steps right behind him.

Now there were right outside of the entrance tunnel to the camp. Forgetting that Kureno couldn't understand him, Kyo said, "We're finally here! I'll go look for Kisa. You wait here and--"

"Sunpaw, what do you think you're doing?!" a furious snarl interrupted him.

Kyo whipped around to see a crouching dark orange cat, its fur bristling and its eyes narrowed. '_Shit!' _

It was Firestar.

* * *

Kisa sullenly ran back to where Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight were waiting.

"What do you think you were doing there? Going towards a Twoleg like that…how dangerous! You stay back here and let the two of us take care of this!" Brambleclaw hissed.

"Yes, Brambleclaw…" Kisa mumbled, her eyes downcast, not wanting to anger her mentor even more than she already had.

Brambleclaw nodded, satisfied at her agreement, and then shot through the bushes towards the Twoleg, Squirrelflight by his side.

Kisa could do nothing but watch as Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight fiercely attacked a shocked Akito, scratching and clawing at him, leaving long red claw marks down his legs.

"Get off me, you stupid cats!" Akito yelled, trying unsuccessfully to shoo them away.

"Go on, Squirrelflight, finish it off. Chase it out of here!" Kisa heard Brambleclaw say.

She followed Squirrelflight's quick and precise movements, faintly impressed, and felt sadness spread throughout her body as Akito was given one more scratch mark and walked away into the forest, cursing under his breath. She briefly considered going after him, leaving Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, but figured she was in enough trouble as it was. Besides, she knew that this wasn't the last ThunderClan's warriors had heard from Akito. Knowing him, he would be back.

* * *

"F-Firestar, what're you doing here?!" Kyo stuttered, shocked. _'I thought he had gone with the others deeper into the forest!' _

"I was searching around our territory for the Twolegs, but decided to come back here to defend the camp in case the Twolegs got this far….and I can see that I made the right choice! But my question is, what are _you_doing leading it here?!" Firestar spat, narrowing his eyes at Kyo.

Kyo, despite his attempts to hide it, was terrified. "…Uh, I was…" _'Dammit, it's no use trying to make an excuse! He SAW me leading Kureno here! And I can't tell him that I actually KNOW Kureno…' _"…I, uh…I was--"

"Sunpaw, I've found you! You thought you could outrun me, well--" Whitepaw suddenly appeared, instantly rounding on Kyo. Then she noticed who else was with him. "Oh, Firestar, you're here already….and so is the Twoleg!" she shouted, instantly going into a defensive crouch, her fur starting to bristle.

"Yes, I just stopped Sunpaw from leading it into our camp. Would _you _care to explain to me why he was about to do that?" Firestar asked Whitepaw.

"I don't know! I was just following him to see why, too!" she said, not mentioning that they were both having a race to see who would reach the Twolegs first. She averted her gaze from Firestar, not wanting to tell him anything more.

"Well, Sunpaw? Explain yourself," Firestar hissed, obviously angry. He turned his attention from Kyo for a moment to hit Kureno with a well-aimed blow.

"Wait, don't hurt him!" Kyo found himself yelling. _'What did I just say?! He's going to kill me now….' _

Firestar froze, about to scratch Kureno again. "Why, Sunpaw? Give me a reason why I can't. I'm only protecting ThunderClan, after all. It's my duty as a leader."

Kyo shifted his paws, leaving deep imprints in the ground. "Umm….well, I can't tell you."

Firestar cocked his head. "Oh? And why not?"

"Well…I can't tell you here, at least." '_What am I saying?' _

"Go on…"

'_What should I say?!' _"I can…tell you later! I'll tell you later! Just don't hurt him!" Kyo said in a rush, pleading with Firestar. '_I can't believe I'm doing this…'_

Firestar glared at Kyo suspiciously. "….Okay, Sunpaw. But I can't just 'not hurt him'. I have to give him enough warning so he won't come back. Leave this to me."

Kyo watched as Firestar hissed and spat at Kureno, giving him a few warning scratches on his legs and arms. Kureno didn't try to push Firestar away, like Akito had done to Brambleclaw. Instead, he accepted the pain and turned away from the camp, almost as if he could understand what Firestar was telling him.

As he walked away with a slight limp from the three cats, he glanced back at Kyo, smiling softly, almost as if to say, "It's okay, Kyo. I'll be back."


End file.
